"Gretchen Krueger's narrative explores how doctors, families, and the public interpreted the experience of childhood cancer from the 1930s through the 1970s. Pairing the transformation of childhood cancer from killer to curable disease with the personal experiences of young patients and their families, Krueger illuminates the twin realities of hope and suffering." "Recounting the complex and sometimes contentious interactions among the families of children with cancer, medical researchers, physicians, advocacy organizations, the media, and policymakers, Krueger reveals that personal odyssey and clinical challenge are the simultaneous realities of childhood cancer. This study will be of interest to historians, medical practitioners, and scientific researchers - and anyone whose life has been touched by cancer."--Jacket.